Opioids are psychoactive chemical substances that have been known to reduce feelings of pain. They are a class of drugs that have been implicated in depressing the central nervous system and causing several physical and psychological reactions including numbness, inducing sleep, hyperactivity, drowsiness, mental confusion, nausea, euphoria as well as constipation. The commonest examples of opioids are tramadol, heroin, morphine, codeine, etc. The main reason for Opioid use is for therapeutic purposes. However, the use of Opioids has also been widely implicated in increasing energy and libido. It is also used as a coping mechanism against pressure, the impact of post-traumatic stress, poverty, crime, etc. The indiscriminate use of opioids is usually associated with overdose, addiction and withdrawal. This study focuses on the incidence of opioid use in Nigeria that has become an epidemic in all regions of the country. In addition to being an active component of cough syrups, Codeine and tramadol which are the predominant types of opioids in Nigeria, have been reported to be a leading cause of health implications and fatality amongst Nigerians, cutting across religion, gender, age, social and educational backgrounds. Due to their availability, ease of accessibility, relative affordability, and the euphoric sensation they cause, Codeine and Tramadol have been tremendously used indiscriminately. There are recorded incidents of fatal overdose and adverse interactions between opioids and other drug classes such as Indian hemp. The addictive ability and the resultant antisocial behaviour, fatality and potential health implication poses Opioid use as a threat in the society. This menace has therefore incited the government to put measures in place to enforce the reduction in Opioid use.
Tetracycline is an antibiotic with powerful antibacterial activities against a wide variety if microorganisms. It is a potent antibacterial antibiotic that inhibits protein synthesis to work and it is also a good medication because of its low toxicity and adverse reaction, oral absorption, and effectiveness against disease-causing germs. Its major mechanism of action is based on inhibition of protein synthesis. The relatively low toxicity & allergic reaction, effective oral absorption, and wide range of effectiveness against disease causing microorganisms are reasons why tetracycline is regarded as a good medication. Tetracycline mechanism of action is mainly its inhibitory ability of protein synthesis. It inhibits aminoacyl-tRNA from binding to the ribosome's A site and thus prevent any further amino acid addition to the developing polypeptide chain. It inhibits protein synthesis at once and disrupt several enzymatic activities essential to propagation and survival. This inhibitory ability is less apparent in surrounding human/animal cells during treatment, which is due to inability of such cell to pump tetracycline into their cytoplasm against concentration gradient unlike bacteria cells. In addition, its ability to disrupt cellular membrane causes organelles o leak from the cell and thus impedes propagation or multiplication. However, tetracycline resistance was observed over time. Tetracycline resistance has been observed to be caused by the action of intrinsic enzymes synthesized to inactivates or degrade it. Also, the excretion and efflux of tetracycline from the cytoplasm, thus reducing cytoplasmic concentration and ultimately, its efficacy. Such microorganism possesses membrane proteins or transporters that can export tetracycline at a rate equal to or greater than its influx rate. The transporters could be tetracycline specific or a multidrug transporter. Another mechanism of tetracycline resistance is known as ribosome's protection. Although the mechanism is not well known, ribosome protective resistance protein (TetM) binds to the ribosome's binding site. This molecule has similarities to elongation factor, and it allows the elongation of polypeptide chain while reducing the affinity of the binding site to tetracycline. This ultimately makes tetracycline ineffective against the microorganisms. This mechanism can also be used in conjunction with efflux mechanism of tetracycline resistance.
Metabolic engineering is essential for the development of microbial cell factories to produce biomolecules from low-value renewable substrates. This role helps advance the development of ecologically responsible and commercially robust chemical industries, including biofuels and high-value compounds like medicines. The ability of microbial cell factories to generate a wide variety of substances sustainably, therefore satisfying modern commodity needs, has piqued the scientific community’s attention. The goal of metabolic engineering is to convert different microorganisms into efficient cell factories to produce desired products, and it has been used for decades to develop novel metabolic pathways and alter pre-existing ones with the help of system biology, synthetic biology, and evolutionary engineering.
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